By Andrew Walyaula
Residents of Kitengela have continued to experience water shortages despite the county government promising to intervene.
Ben Okari, a father of one, reveals that the amount he spends on buying water is more than what he pays for rent.
“I spend more on water than I do on rent. I have a one-year old child who should be kept clean all the time. Besides, we need to bath, wash utensils and go to the toilet. In a day, we use more than five jerry cans of water,” Okari said.
He adds that he has to walk for at least a kilometer to fetch water.
‘At the fetching point, twenty litters of clean water is sold at Shs 30. To spend less, I normally wake up early to go and fetch the water. I also fetch water in the evening after work. I prefer going myself because when it is brought at your doorstep, you have to pay at least Ks50,” he added.
Marry Mwende, agonizes over the burden of paying highly for water because she suffers from a heart problem.
‘I do not have an alternative other than ordering for water at my doorstep. While budgeting, I have to allocate more than four thousand for water despite paying Shs 3500 rent. I have to bath twice a day and I also drink more than three litres of water daily,” Mwende said.
They both urged the county government to fulfill the promise the governor made of solving the water problem so as to simplify their way of living.
Area chief Kahiga Karuri told The Metropolitan Shoppers that since the governor made the promise, he has not seen any implementation so far.
Kajiado Governor Joseph Ole Lenku affirmed that Kitengela is among the fastest growing areas in the county and affirmed the need for strategic planning to accommodate the increasing population.
“You are right, Kitengela’s population surge has outstripped its infrastructural system since it was just a trading center. There is now great need to revamp its water and sewage systems and road network to accommodate the new population,” Governor Ole Lenku says.
He argued that the reason there was water shortage in Kitengela was because EPZ cut off the supply.
“We are commissioning a direct line from Nairobi Water and Sewage Company to supply water to 10,000 residents. We also have a plan for three mega dams in the county, one of which will be at Ololoitikoshi and will serve Kitengela,” the governor notes.